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Marquis Elmdor
Maquis Elmdor is a character in the game Final Fantasy Tactics. He was originally a war veteran who was made a noble for his services to the kingdom of Ivalice. History First Encounter When the kingdom of Ivalice is split between Bestrald Larg and Duke Goltanna as possible regents after the King's death, Elmdor was one of the mores distinguished nobles of the kingdom and sided with Goltanna as a loyal general and remained in control in the east territory of Limberry as it's Marquis. Elmdor is initially just a background noble in the war, but is held hostage in the first chapter of the game. The hero, Ramza Beoulve, rescues Elmdor from the terrorist group, Corpse Brigade, who had overtaken his guard and taken him hostage. The Corpse Brigade were formed to fight for the rights of the soldiers disregarded after the previous war, however the Corpse Brigade commander, Gustav Margriff, decided the health and wealth of his immediate soldiers was more important than the cause and ambushed then slaughters Elmdor's guards then took Elmdor as ransom to try to bargain for his unit's safety and prosperity. Ramza and the true-believer Corpse Brigade commander, Wiegraf Folles both break into the hide-out, Ramza to free Elmdor, Wiegraf to punish Gustav for sullying the Corpse Brigade's cause. Though Wiegraf is wanted for many charges, Ramza and his allies prioritize getting Elmdor to safty, allowing Wiegraf to get away. The Lion War By the game's second chapter events spiral ahead several years and the kingdom is in the throws of another war dubbed "The Lion War" - Duke Larg and Duke Goltanna's issues at that point risen to the level of armed conflict. Elmdor's loyalty was to Goltanna as his immediate land-overseer. Elmdor was called "The Silver Noble" in the 50-year war prior to the Lion War, or "The Silver Ogre" by his enemies. Elmdor siding with Goltanna was a fairly pronounced morale boost for Goltanna's Black Lion faction. Though Elmdor has little malevolence expressed in this period, he is shown to be a supporter of the main man creating conflict for Ramza's family, however at that point, Ramza is working as a sell-sword and very far removed for the politics of his family. Lucavi Elmdor's role as a genuine villain comes several chapters in when, over the course of the game, the Lucavi make their introduction. The Lucavi are known as demon-like harbingers of hell but were all exorcised by the Zodiac Saints of St. Ajora. Ajora is a Christ-like figure protected by his pupils and founders of the Church - The Zodiac Saints. After seeing one of the stones unleashed it is revealed that the Saints of Ajora are in-fact The Lucavi, that pose as holy saints. The Zodiac Saints each had a holy-stone of the Zodiac, hidden away by the Church. When one is inadvertently unleashed by Wiegraf, Ramza witnesses first hand how the stone's operate. The Lucavi within a stone reaches out to any who would listen and offer them power, invoking the power infuses the Lucavi into the body of the user, becoming their anchors to the world and effectively possessing them. Lucavi possession still has the mind of the person possessed operating, but their old values become warped and their central motivation becomes unleashing St. Ajora and with him hell. The seeming remants of humanity are later cassually brushed away as a facade the Lucavi drop - not even needing to hint at their hosts' previous values. The Cardinal Alphonse Draclau, sold his soul to the Lucavi, Cúchulainn for power; And Wiegraf - to Belias for a chance to write history instead of being swept up in it. It is unknown what Elmdor got out of his bargin with the Lucavi, but after Ramza re-encounters Elmdor he quickly recognizes the signs of Lucavi possession and that Elmdor had become an unholy monster. Elmdor has two assassins called Celia and Lettie as his constant companions, both later reveal themselves to be demons, it is unknown if they were also possessed or demons from start just in disguise. Elmdor turns out to be Zalera - a Lucavi associated with death/undeath. Elmdor himself appears to show various signs similar to vampirism, it is unknown if Elmdor had always been a vampire or Zalera induced a vampire-like-state in him. At the point he is encountered Elmdor is dead-set on freeing Ajora and doing so via stealing various "holy" relics from the Church including the Scriptures of Germonique, a journal from one of Ajora's disciples who turned on him once he realized what Ajora really was. Zalera wants to keep the true nature of Ajora from the Church so they continue to unknowing help the Lucavi for petty political gains, but he also wishes to find more Zodiac Stones to unleash the forces of Saint Ajora on the world. Zalera goes as far as to assassinate a viscount/business owner, the Black Lion had previously been negotiating with in order to get Elmdor's hands on the Scriptures of Germonique. When Ramza persists in efforts to stop him, Zalera raids the Limberry crypt and animates the bodies of the dead to kill Ramza and his men. Skills and Abilities Elmdor has a variety of techniques mimicking the game's Samurai job class that allows him to unleash the bound spirits of weapons, Elmdor, Celia and Lettie all have the power to infect characters with a special form of undeath that not only makes them harmed by healing but turns them into enemy units after sucking their blood. If all units are converted with Elmdor's Blood Suck ability, the game ends as all of the team has become Elmdor's thralls. In the final battle with Elmdor he transforms into Zalera, the Lucavi angel of death, with all pretense of humanity gone. Personality Not much is wittnessed from Elmdor personally before he is possessed. The game's library states Elmdor was a devout member of the Church of Glabdos, which could mean he was not tempted into accepting Zalera but may well have offered himself freely thinking he would become an instrument of god. He appears to have been loyal to Goltanna but there is no way of knowing when the possession first took effect and if Elmdor made the choice to serve Goltanna when he was still in control of his own body, or if he was playing along the entire time for influence of the Black Lion while the Lucavi Adrammelech infiltrated the White Lion. As Zalera though, he is merciless and sadistic. Taking joy in seeing others overtaken by undeath so even in death, the souls of his foes do not find peace. Trivia *Though Elmdor is never specifically identified as vampire the description of his abilities strongly implies it. *Elmdor's Lucavi zodiac stone that allowed Zalera's pact is Gemini. *"Zalera" is an anagram of "Azrael", the Hebrew angel of death. Navigation Category:Possessed/Brainwashed Category:Vampires Category:Final Fantasy Villains Category:Video Game Villains Category:Aristocrats Category:Nihilists Category:Necromancers Category:Pawns Category:Deceased Category:Science Fantasy Villains